At a Plateau... And I just started!

A plateau is generally defined as 4-6+ weeks without a drop on the scale. What you're seeing are the normal day-to-day fluctuations of the body. Weight loss isn't linear and it's going to take some time.

It's not uncommon to see a stall or even a slight gain on the scale when you start a new exercise routine or increase an old one. Our bodies flood sore muscles with fluid to help cushion and repair them, which can mask any fat loss that's happening. Don't worry; it's temporary. Drink plenty of water, keep doing what you're doing, and give your body some time to adjust. :flowerforyou:

Your body is probably holding onto more water. You used to only drink diet soda which if it has caffeine will act as a diuretic and make you pee out lots of your body water. Now not only have you stopped the diet soda, you've upped your water intake and your exercising which is going to make you retain more water as your muscles are repaired.

I'd suggest 1) start lifting weights if all you are doing is cardio 2) try lowering your sodium intake. Water follows salt so more salt intake=more water weight 3) ditch the scale for awhile. Don't weigh yourself but every 2-3 weeks because your weight is naturally going to fluctuate on a daily basis. Besides, there are so many benefits to getting active and eating better besides watching an arbitrary number go up or down on a scale 4) stick with it. Losing weight and getting healthy isn't a sprint. Hell it's not even a marathon. Living healthy is just that, a lifestyle! Don't approach it like there is some deadline you need to meet in regards to how much weight you lose.

I am having the same problem so I appreciate the responses to your post. I have always exercised and for the most part I eat healthy but I think my all day grazing/snacking is my biggest problem and most likely my age (49) too. For the past 2 weeks I have increased my exercising and reduced my snacking. The scale just goes up and down 3 lbs. So, it sounds like I need to get off the scale for a few weeks and just keep trying! I find that I get frustrated because my clothes feel tighter not looser.

It takes me forever to start losing weight... like 5 weeks; eating healthy and exercising. After some time passes though my body becomes more efficient and I start losing a little faster. I also fluctuate the same 3 pounds day to day until there are sudden undeniable drops of the additional 3-5 ibs.

you haven't been doing this long enough to have a plateau.

however if you have stalled it could be three things

1. Your body is figuring things out
2. You haven't found the best time of the day to weigh (I usually and consistently weigh the least at about 2-3 pm)
3. You aren't measuring/tracking your food properly and have snuck up to maintenance levels.

If the scale results are affecting your motivation, maybe it would be a good idea to not weigh yourself as much. Focus on healthy habits, do that for a month or two, and then step on the scale to see where you are.

I think the journaling is key here. That is probably another one of my issues. I can journal fairly well during the day because I pack my food for work and I can enter what I packed when I get to work. But once I get home I start to snack a little before dinner and rarely go back online to enter what I ate. I am wondering if anybody find that hand written journaling works better for them. I think I might try it but seems silly since I have an iphone and an ipad - both have the MFP app.

My iphone is never far from my side. I journal in the morning when I get to work on my computer... then in the evening everytime I eat something I go on the MFP app and enter the rest. It really helps that they have the barcode scanner too.... that makes it so much easier to do things. I'm also pretty obsessed with my fitbit app and constantly checking it to see how many steps/calories I'm at for the day. It just becomes a habit.

I think the journaling is key here. That is probably another one of my issues. I can journal fairly well during the day because I pack my food for work and I can enter what I packed when I get to work. But once I get home I start to snack a little before dinner and rarely go back online to enter what I ate. I am wondering if anybody find that hand written journaling works better for them. I think I might try it but seems silly since I have an iphone and an ipad - both have the MFP app.

Like you, I journal just fine while I'm at work and have a harder time when I'm at home. I have a paper notebook that sits on my kitchen counter during the evenings and I write everything down there. Then I find some time to log it the next morning. I might be a little over or under on my paper log because I'm worse at math than the MFP site, but it all works out in the long run.

When you first start out with losing weight, I would suggest going by measurements mostly and not so much the weight. The weight will come off, you just gotta be patient.